Michael Vassar

Introduction

Michael Vassar is a former Colorado high school wrestling coach who served as head coach of the boys and girls wrestling teams at Palmer Ridge High School from December 2025 until his resignation in May 2026. On Thursday, September 24, 2026, the 37-year-old was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault of a child, in a case that investigators say involves one or more of the athletes he coached at the school. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest publicly the following day, reporting that Vassar allegedly engaged in sexual conduct involving athletes he led as coach.

The case is at its earliest stage. Vassar has been charged with a single offense filed in an arrest warrant; he has not been tried, and nothing in the reporting documents a conviction. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Background Information

Vassar, 37, took over as head coach of Palmer Ridge High School’s boys and girls wrestling teams in December 2025, according to an email that school district officials sent to the families of wrestling athletes and to school staff after his arrest. He resigned from the position in May 2026, months before the criminal case against him became public.

Palmer Ridge High School is part of Colorado’s D-38 school district in the Pikes Peak region, and the district’s communications director, Amy Matisek, addressed the hiring and resignation in the same email to families. Matisek wrote that the district followed standard hiring procedures when it hired Vassar. Beyond his school coaching role, the Sheriff’s Office reported that Vassar had also been offering personal training services at gyms in the region, including Crunch Fitness at 1801 S. Academy Blvd. and Unbreakable Ministries Gym at 124 Delaware Drive, along with other private sporting and athletic clubs in the Pikes Peak region.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

The path to Vassar’s arrest began on May 20, 2026, when a tip about a possible sexual assault came in to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. The office’s Special Victims Unit then opened an investigation. Investigators subsequently filed an arrest warrant against Vassar charging him with one count of sexual assault of a child by one in a position of trust, and he was taken into custody on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest on Friday, September 25.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Vassar allegedly engaged in sexual conduct involving one or more of the wrestling athletes he coached at Palmer Ridge High School. The charge — sexual assault of a child by one in a position of trust — reflects prosecutors’ and investigators’ allegations that the conduct occurred within the coach-athlete relationship. These remain allegations at the charging stage: the accusation comes from a tip and an investigators’ warrant, no trial has occurred, and Vassar is presumed innocent.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The arrest became public on Friday, September 25, 2026, when the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office announced it and the school district sent an email to the families of wrestling athletes and to school staff explaining the timeline of Vassar’s coaching tenure and resignation. In that email, D-38 communications director Amy Matisek addressed how the district handled the matter, writing: “Staff learned of allegations involving a student athlete after Mr. Vassar had resigned. Administrators investigated the incident thoroughly and reported it to the Department of Human Services.” Matisek also stated that the district followed standard hiring procedures when hiring Vassar.

Alongside the announcement, the Sheriff’s Office said it believes there may be additional alleged victims. Investigators cited Vassar’s personal training work at Crunch Fitness, Unbreakable Ministries Gym, and other private sporting and athletic clubs in the Pikes Peak region as settings where he had contact with potential victims, and the office asked anyone with information — or anyone who believes they were victimized — to contact its tip line at 719-520-7777. Vassar, for his part, was being held inside the El Paso County jail on a no-bond hold following his arrest.

Current Status

As of the most recent reporting, Vassar remains in custody at the El Paso County jail on a no-bond hold. He was scheduled to appear in court virtually at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 25, 2026, for an advisement hearing, with his first formal court appearance set for Thursday, October 1. The single charge against him — sexual assault of a child by one in a position of trust — is pending, and the investigation is described by the Sheriff’s Office as ongoing, with investigators working to determine whether additional alleged victims exist. No trial date has been reported, and no conviction has been entered; Vassar is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Vassar’s coaching career at Palmer Ridge High School had already ended by the time of his arrest: per the district’s email, he resigned as head coach of the boys and girls wrestling teams in May 2026, and the district has said its staff learned of the allegations involving a student athlete only after that resignation. The arrest and the Sheriff’s Office public announcement turned the resignation into a public criminal case, tying his departure from the program to a charged sex offense rather than an unexplained exit.

The case also reaches beyond the school. Because investigators say Vassar worked as a personal trainer at multiple gyms and athletic clubs in the Pikes Peak region, his exposure extends to those settings, and the search for additional alleged victims keeps the case active. Whatever its outcome, the charge of sexual assault of a child by one in a position of trust — arising, according to the arrest announcement, from his role coaching minors — is the defining fact of his public standing going forward, even as he remains legally presumed innocent while the case proceeds through the courts.

Sources

• The Gazette, “Palmer Ridge High School wrestling coach accused of sexual assault” — source